To Soothe The Nerves
by badly-knitted
Summary: After a rough day at work, Dee retreats to the precinct house roof. Set after Vol. 7, writen for a prompt at fic promptly.


**Title:** To Soothe The Nerves

 **Author:** badly-knitted

 **Characters:** Dee, Ryo.

 **Rating:** PG

 **Setting:** After Vol. 7

 **Summary:** After a rough day at work, Dee retreats to the precinct house roof.

 **Word Count:** 924

 **Written For:** My own prompt 'FAKE, Dee, Smoking in the rain,' at fic_promptly.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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The sky was leaden, a cold, persistent rain falling, but Dee couldn't find it in himself to care. He needed a smoke, and since lighting up indoors was prohibited, the roof was his only option, inclement weather be damned.

Pulling the collar of his jacket up around his neck, for what little protection it provided, he ducked around the side of the stairwell, out of the worst of the wind as he fumbled a cigarette from the crumpled packet he pulled from his pocket. Sticking it between his lips, he put the almost empty packet away again and dug for his lighter.

Despite the shelter, the flame of his lighter got blown out three times before he finally managed to shield it well enough with his free hand to keep it going long enough for his cig to catch light. He drew the smoke in deeply, letting it slowly trickle out again on a breath, hoping to feel the nicotine starting to soothe his ragged nerves, and disappointed when it seemed to have no noticeable effect. Sometimes he wondered what would do him in first, the stress of his job or his smokes. Maybe neither. Being a cop in New York wasn't the world's safest occupation.

He leaned his back against the cold, damp brick wall of the stairwell and stared across the roof at the surrounding buildings and the grey sky beyond, feeling the steady drip, drip, drip, of rainwater on his head and shoulders from the roof above him, and the chill drizzle blown against his face. The view in this weather was as bleak as his mood, the red glowing tip of his cigarette the only spot of colour in a world turned monochrome by the rain and the approaching dusk.

Somewhere behind the clouds, the sun was setting, but he hadn't seen it in days because of the slow-moving band of rain that had taken up residence over the northern end of the east coast. According to the weather forecasters, they'd be stuck with it until the end of the week at least.

Puffing slowly at his cigarette, trying to make it last as long as possible, Dee let his mind wander to what had driven him up here. The gunshot had been deafening in the enclosed space, and the bullet had hit Ryo high in the chest, throwing him backwards like a rag doll. Luckily he'd been wearing his vest, which had absorbed the worst of the impact, but an inch higher and the Kevlar wouldn't have protected him. When he'd seen his partner go sprawling, Dee had immediately assumed the worst, Ryo had been so still, winded and stunned from hitting the ground so hard. Dee had returned fire, putting a round through the shooter's shoulder and disarming him, before checking on his partner and radioing for assistance.

Ryo had been taken to hospital for x-rays and a head CT, while Dee had been sent back to the precinct. It was a good shooting, everyone knew it, but procedure still had to be followed.

"Thought I'd find you up here."

Jerked out of his musings, Dee turned to see Ryo, coat belted tight around him and holding an umbrella over his head. He stared as the vision before him, scarcely able to believe his eyes. "Ryo?"

"Why don't you have an umbrella? You're getting soaked, you idiot; you'll catch your death."

"Not enough hands," Dee replied lamely.

"What?" Ryo looked at him, confused.

"Cigarette, lighter, umbrella," Dee explained. "Not enough hands. I was already wet by the time I got my cigarette lit, so what would've been the point of using an umbrella after the fact?"

"At least you wouldn't have got any wetter."

Dee shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to get wet. Are you okay?"

"Bruised and sore, but more or less in one piece. Drake gave me a ride back from the hospital after questioning the perp. Shift's over, I was about to clock out and head home, but your car's still out front so I figured you were still here somewhere."

"I needed a cig." Dee waved the stub of his cigarette, burned right down to the filter by now. Dropping it to the ground, he crushed it out with the heel of his boot. "Didn't help much though. I should probably quit."

"Probably. Smoking's bad for you."

"Mother's been telling me that for years, it's the one thing she nags me about."

"And yet you still smoke."

"I'm cutting down, only had two today." Dee pushed away from the wall. "C'mon, you should rest, I'll drive ya home."

"Thanks, Dee. I don't much fancy dealing with the subway today, especially not during rush hour; all those elbows."

Dee winced in sympathy at the thought. Slipping in under Ryo's umbrella, he slid damp arms around his lover and carefully pulled him close for a kiss. Feeling Ryo solid and whole in his arms, the scent of him warm and familiar, helped a lot more than the cigarette had.

"I was scared out there today, thought I was gonna lose you."

"But you didn't, I'm still here."

"Yeah, you are, thank God." One last kiss and Dee pulled away, steering Ryo towards the stairwell door and out of the rain. "Let's get outta here, I've had more than enough of this place for one day. We can pick up something for dinner on the way over to yours."

It had been a close call, but luck had been on their side today. Time to count their blessings.

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The End


End file.
